You don’t have to look far in Surry Hills to find a decent place to eat. Whether it’s the well-established places like Longrain or any of the obscure gourmet eateries dotted along Commonwealth Street, you’re sure to land somewhere that has a foodie following of some kind.

Jillian’s Cakery is located on Reservoir Street, just off Elizabeth; about as far west as you can go while still legally being classified as being part of the hipster Surry Hills locale. It’s the home of hard-to-find baked goods of the decadent kind, from spicy pumpkin pie, New York-style cheesecake and tres leches torte to individually hand-tied bags of caramel popcorn.

Today’s Cookie Safari takes us to one of Jillian’s Cakery’s signature creations – the Oatmeal and Raisin Cookie. It’s a large, soft and moist cookie that holds its shape well, breaking apart with only a gentle bite.

Every mouthful is luxurious and coarsely textured. Sweet, oaty, ever-so-lightly spiced; it feels home-made, like the product of honest, hard work.

Unlike many of the cookies I’ve previously tried, the Oatmeal and Raisin doesn’t impress with extremes of sweetness and creaminess.The raisins don’t have the kind of overwhelming tang that you’d normally find in lesser cookies. Indeed, this cookie’s strength is in its subtlety. It complements their chocolate milkshakes quite perfectly… not so much their chai lattes, but I digress.

Despite its subtleties, the Oatmeal and Raisin isn’t an easy cookie to get through. It’s surprisingly dense, and there’s a lot to work through. Yes, it’s surprisingly yummy, but I think I could’ve gotten by with half.

Where: Jillian’s Cakery, 1/242 Elizabeth Street , Surry Hills NSW 2010. It’s at least a 5-minute walk from Central Station. There’s local parking, but it’s a little tricky at the best of times. By bus, the 308, 309, 310 and 311 will take you right to its doorstep.

How much: $4.00 each

My boy enjoying a bag of caramel popcorn and a chocolate milkshake served in one of those hipster jar-cup things.

About Kevvie’s Cookie Safari: People have been telling me for years that my wife’s chocolate chip cookies are the best they’ve ever eaten. It didn’t occur to me until now to test the claim. But if you’re interested, she uses a Jacques Torres recipe from the book ‘A Year in Chocolate’.